Amizu Japan

How to Buy Japanese Craft Books From Outside Japan: Amazon.co.jp vs. ZenMarket vs. Buyee

Three ways to buy Japanese knitting and crochet books from abroad, compared with fees, shipping, payment, and customs notes. Prices checked November 2026.

By Naruhiko (Naru) ·

Drafted in English with AI, from the sources listed at the end. How these guides are made.

On this page
  1. Which one to pick
  2. Option 1: Amazon.co.jp straight to your door
  3. Option 2: ZenMarket
  4. Option 3: Buyee
  5. What the US customs rules mean for postal shipments
  6. FAQ
  7. Sources

The short answer: for a single book, try Amazon.co.jp directly first, since it ships to the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and many other countries, with a posted base shipping rate (from 2,400 JPY to the US for Standard shipping, as of November 2026) and estimated import charges collected at checkout. If the listing says it can’t ship to you, or a Marketplace seller won’t ship abroad, a proxy service such as ZenMarket (500 JPY per item) or Buyee (500 JPY per order) can buy it in Japan and reship it for you, within each service’s rules on what it can buy and ship. Details, a comparison table, and a customs note follow.

Fees and rates checked on 2026-11-05. They change; confirm at checkout.

Which one to pick

Amazon.co.jp (AmazonGlobal)ZenMarketBuyee
What it isJapan’s Amazon store ships to your addressProxy: buys for you, stores, shipsProxy: buys for you, stores, ships
Best forA book whose listing offers international shipping to your countrySeveral books from several shops in one parcelBuying from many Japanese stores when Amazon won’t ship
Service feeNone listed on Amazon’s shipping pages500 JPY per item for Amazon and Rakuten; 300 JPY at “Recommended Stores”; 800 JPY for Mercari and auctions500 JPY flat per order (or per store for shopping)
Shipping to youBase rate per shipment, US: 2,400 JPY Standard / 2,600 JPY Priority, “starting from”; the final price depends on items, weight, and volume. Free AmazonGlobal Standard Shipping once eligible items reach a minimum order (varies by country)Charged separately by parcel weight and method (EMS, AVIA, Surface, FedEx, UPS, DHL). Use ZenMarket’s calculatorCharged separately (EMS, FedEx, DHL, Japan Post parcel services, USPS and more). Use Buyee’s calculator
Japan domestic shippingNot listed separately; Amazon’s rate page builds the total shipping cost from a per-shipment and a per-item costDepends on the seller; some listings are freeTypically 150 to 1,500 JPY per order
ConsolidationNot listed on Amazon’s shipping help pagesFree first consolidationFree: Buyee’s consolidation page says the fee has been waived since 2022-12-21
Inspection or photosNot listed on Amazon’s shipping help pagesPhoto service, 500 JPY per itemInspection plan 300 JPY; Standard plan 500 JPY includes insured delivery and inspection
Storagen/aFree for 60 days, then 50 JPY per day per item; 90 days in total, after which items are disposed of without compensationFree for 30 days, then 100 to 300 JPY per day by package weight; 90 days at most, after which packages are disposed of
PaymentNot listed on Amazon’s international shipping help pagesCard (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro), PayPal, bank transfer, Wise, Alipay, Amazon Pay, cryptoCredit card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay), PayPal, Alipay, Buyee Wallet (orders over 900,000 JPY)
Extra payment feeNone listedDeposit fee, from 1% (FAQ example: 3.5%)None listed for cards on Buyee’s payment page
Duties and import feesAmazonGlobal countries: estimated “Import Charges” collected at checkout (no refund if higher than the actual fees), and the carrier clears customs. “Import Charges Unpaid” countries: any duties are levied when the parcel arrivesYou pay; DDP prepayment when offered; import VAT/GST is collected with shipping for some countries (UK, Australia, and others)You pay and handle any customs procedure yourself; duties are not refunded under any plan

How to read it: Amazon lists no service fee but collects estimated Import Charges at checkout, and whether you can order depends on the listing offering international shipping to your country. Proxies add a per-item or per-order fee, but they buy from many Japanese shops, store your items, and combine parcels.

Option 1: Amazon.co.jp straight to your door

Amazon’s help page says you can ship items sold on Amazon.co.jp abroad if international shipping is available as an option for that listing. Which items qualify and what it costs depend on the delivery address.

  • Where. AmazonGlobal covers a long list that includes the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. A second group of countries is served with “Import Charges Unpaid” (the country list still calls it “Import Fees Unpaid”), which means any duties and taxes are levied when the parcel reaches your country.
  • Shipping cost. For the United States, the posted minimum per shipment is 2,400 JPY (Standard) or 2,600 JPY (Priority). Amazon says exact charges depend on the number of items, item type, weight, and volume. A heavier or bulkier order costs more than the minimum.
  • Free shipping. If an order to an eligible country reaches a minimum amount of eligible items, Amazon selects free AmazonGlobal Standard Shipping at checkout. Eligible items carry a “FREE Shipping” message on the product or search page. The minimum varies by country, only items that qualify for free shipping count toward it, and Amazon says items sold and shipped by a third-party seller in the cart can be a reason an order doesn’t qualify.
  • Duties and import fees. At checkout, Amazon collects Import Charges, an estimate of the duties, taxes, and fees customs will charge, and the carrier clears customs for you. Amazon’s “About Import Charges” page calls them a fixed amount: you are not refunded if they turn out higher than the fees actually paid to customs, and you are not charged more if they turn out lower. Amazon also notes that, depending on the country, the products, and the order amount, you may be charged an extra fee at delivery on top of what you paid at checkout.
  • Marketplace sellers. Amazon says the destinations available for items sold by Marketplace sellers depend on the seller. Check the order confirmation screen before paying.

Tip: search Amazon.co.jp with the book’s Japanese title, copied from the publisher’s site or another listing. Amazon.co.jp serves English help pages at addresses containing /-/en/.

Option 2: ZenMarket

ZenMarket is a proxy. You paste a product link from Amazon.co.jp, Rakuten, or most other Japanese shops (you can also search shops from inside the site), pay ZenMarket, and it buys the item and holds it at its Japanese warehouse until you ask for a parcel.

What you pay, according to ZenMarket’s fee page:

  • Item price.
  • ZenMarket service fee: 500 JPY per item for Amazon, Rakuten, and most stores; 300 JPY at Recommended Stores; 800 JPY for Mercari and JDirectItems auction bids. It covers purchasing, the first consolidation, and insurance for parcels under 5,000,000 JPY. If you buy three identical items, the fee is charged once; different variants are charged separately.
  • Domestic shipping in Japan, if the seller charges it.
  • International shipping, always charged. The shipping page says it cannot be free. Methods: EMS, AVIA (small packet), and Surface via Japan Post, plus FedEx, UPS, DHL, and others. Rates come from ZenMarket’s calculator, and ZenMarket notes that the cheapest method depends on size and weight. Its shipping FAQ names AVIA Small as the cheapest option for small items like magazines (parcels under 2 kg), and suggests FedEx, UPS, or DHL for books and other heavy items, or whenever they cost less than EMS.
  • Funds deposit fee: ZenMarket’s fee summary lists it as “from 1%,” and its payment FAQ works through an example with 3.5%. The fee depends on how you top up, and bank transfers are suggested for deposits over 100,000 JPY.

Optional extras: a photo of the item before shipping, 500 JPY per item; reinforcement, 1,000 JPY per box. Storage is free for 60 days; after that it costs 50 JPY per day per item, and ZenMarket says it keeps items for 90 days in total, after which they are disposed of without compensation.

Payment. Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Maestro) through Stripe, PayPal, international bank transfer, Wise, Alipay, Amazon Pay, and crypto. You pay in yen, but your card or account can be in any currency.

Customs. ZenMarket tells you that you are responsible for duties and import taxes and that it cannot estimate them beforehand. Where available, a prepayment option called DDP (Delivered Duty Paid) shows up on the shipping-payment screen. If you don’t see it, it is not available. Its shipping page adds that for some destinations, including the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, it collects import VAT or GST together with the shipping fee for parcels up to a set value. For the United States, ZenMarket says customs may ask for extra documents for some products sent by UPS, FedEx, DHL, or ECMS. Books are not on its list of common examples.

Option 3: Buyee

Buyee is also a proxy. Its Amazon page says it buys products from Amazon in Japan for you and ships them to your door, and it handles other Japanese shops too.

What you pay, according to the fee pages of Buyee’s help center (buyee.jp):

  • Item price.
  • Purchase fee: a flat 500 JPY per order. Buyee’s FAQ says that when you buy from several stores, each store becomes a separate order with its own purchase fee and plan fee. Amazon is the exception: items from different sellers can go into one order.
  • A plan (your choice): Lite 0 JPY; Inspection 300 JPY; Insured Delivery 500 JPY; Standard (insured plus inspection) 500 JPY. The Standard plan was shown as “800 → 500” on Buyee’s plans page when checked, so look at the price on screen when you order.
  • Domestic shipping in Japan: Buyee says it generally falls between 150 and 1,500 JPY per order and is charged per order even if you buy from the same shop twice.
  • International shipping, estimated on the site’s calculator: EMS, FedEx, DHL, Japan Post parcel services, Small Packet, USPS, and others.
  • Customs clearance commission of 2,800 JPY if you ship goods worth more than 200,000 JPY by EMS or another Japan Post service (airmail, economy airmail, or sea mail).

Consolidation and storage. Buyee waived its consolidation fee on 2022-12-21. Packages are stored free for 30 days from arrival. After that, a daily fee of 100 JPY (up to 10 kg), 200 JPY (up to 20 kg), or 300 JPY (heavier) applies, and packages not shipped within 90 days are disposed of.

Payment. Credit card (Visa, Mastercard, JCB, UnionPay), PayPal, and Alipay (paid in Chinese yuan). Buyee Wallet, funded through Wise, is only for orders with an item value above 900,000 JPY.

Customs. Buyee says customs duties are not included in its usage fees and are not refunded, even for a package covered by a plan. Its precautions page adds that if customs asks you to clear the parcel or pay duties, you handle that yourself, and suggest asking your local customs office about duties and tax rates before you buy.

What the US customs rules mean for postal shipments

If your books travel to the US by Japan Post, note that the US rules for mail changed in 2025 and 2026. This part concerns the United States only. It is background from Japan Post’s notice, not customs advice.

According to Japan Post’s notice (dated 2026-04-13, with updates listed through 2026-07-24):

  • The US ended duty-free “de minimis” treatment for goods arriving by international mail as of 2025-08-29.
  • Since 2026-04-14, Japan Post has again accepted all postal items to the US, but for goods worth up to 2,500 USD that are not documents or bona fide gifts, the sender must prepay duties through the app of a certified company (currently only Zonos) and hand the item in at a designated post office.
  • Documents and bona fide gifts valued at 100 USD or less remain duty-free. Japan Post’s table lists “letters, postcards, printed matters, EMS (documents)” among the items not requiring prepayment at 100 USD or less. The notice does not define “printed matters,” so it does not settle whether a book you bought counts.

If you use a proxy and pick a courier or a DDP option, the proxy handles the paperwork differently. Ask the service before ordering several books, and keep your order screenshots, since ZenMarket says customs may ask for proof of the price and shipping payment.

FAQ

Can I buy Japanese craft books from the US? Yes. Amazon.co.jp lists the United States among AmazonGlobal destinations, ZenMarket’s shipping page has a section on shipments to the United States, and Buyee lists USPS among its shipping methods. On Amazon, eligibility varies by listing.

Why does Amazon say it can’t ship my book to me? Amazon says you can ship an item abroad if international shipping is available as a shipping option, and that the destinations for items from Marketplace sellers depend on the seller. A proxy buys the book inside Japan and ships it itself.

Do I pay duties on top of the shipping? Possibly. Amazon collects estimated Import Charges at checkout, with no refund if they turn out higher than the actual fees, and the proxies say you are responsible for duties in your country.

Is there an English edition instead? For some books, yes. For example, Tuttle Publishing sells Japanese Knitting Stitch Bible by Hitomi Shida, translated by Gayle Roehm, ISBN 9784805314531, listed at 16.95 USD on its site. Check whether the book you want has an English edition first. If you get the Japanese original, start with how to read a Japanese knitting chart or the Japanese crochet symbols. For magazines rather than books, see the guide to Japanese knitting magazines.

What is the cheapest way? It depends on the box. For one book, Amazon’s posted base rate is easy to compare, and a larger Amazon order of eligible items can reach the free-shipping minimum for your country. For several books, compare a proxy’s consolidated shipping against separate Amazon orders, using the calculators. Total cost = item price + service fee + domestic shipping + international shipping + payment fee + duties.

Sources

All pages below were opened on 2026-11-05.